The Truth About Bill Cosby's Life In Prison

This article contains references to sexual abuse.

Former sitcom star Bill Cosby may have once brought joy to millions, but his transition from "America's Dad" to convicted criminal was anything but a laughing matter. Viewers saw the "Fat Albert" star in a completely different light when he was charged with felony aggravated indecent assault in 2015 and later sentenced to prison for drugging and sexually abusing a woman named Andrea Constand in 2004. The actor traded his multi-million-dollar mansion for a cinderblock cell in a fall-from-grace that left many Americans in disbelief.

Constand and Cosby first crossed paths in the early 2000s when she worked at Temple University, where the actor was a graduate and trustee. Constand claimed to have a friendship with him that took a turn when she met with Cosby at his home in 2004. She accused the "Cosby Show" star of giving her multiple quaaludes and telling her they were herbal supplements, claiming she woke up to him sexually assaulting her. The former Temple University employee went to the police in 2005, triggering another alleged victim to come forward. However, officials declined to charge Cosby due to the delay in Constand coming forward. Ultimately, Cosby avoided prison time after agreeing to be deposed in a civil case brought by Constand, which was settled for over $3 million in 2006.

Cosby's problems were far from over, however; Montgomery County district attorneys reopened his case a decade later and pursued criminal charges. The actor began his 3 to 10-year prison sentence in 2018 and was let go in 2021 after his conviction was overturned. While he may not be in prison any longer, his time in jail has forever tainted what could have been an impressive legacy. So how did he fare behind bars? We're breaking down the truth about Bill Cosby's life in prison.

Bill Cosby was sent to SCI Phoenix, a maximum-security prison outside of Philadelphia. The prison houses nearly 4,000 inmates and is a new build, constructed in 2018 for $400 million. The actor settled into his new digs in a special housing unit for four months instead of immediately mingling with the general population, which gave him time to adjust to his new reality. The move came out of special attention to his security, as his celebrity status makes him a potential target inside the facility. 

"Being released into the general pop means he will have shared meal times, shared yard time, all out-of-cell time will be among other individuals," said Philadelphia victim advocate Jennifer Storm to The New York Times. Prior to the change, Cosby's special housing unit featured a 7-by-13-foot layout with a 10-foot ceiling. After being moved out of isolation, the former sitcom star moved to a separate one-person cell, which he famously referred to as his "penthouse suite" (via the Los Angeles Times).  The cell block Cosby lived in was not specified for older inmates, and he was surrounded by neighboring inmates of various ages.

His adjustment was aided by the support of other inmates, some of whom became fans. According to his publicist Andrew Wyatt's statements to TMZ, the former comedian was often greeted by cheers and applause by other inmates and their loved ones when he frequented the visiting area. 

Bill Cosby was assigned helpers while serving out his time behind bars, according to statements obtained by The New York Times. Pennsylvania Department of Corrections spokesperson Amy Worden told the publication that the actor was given this privilege due to his legal blindness "to help him get around as other elderly and/or infirm inmates have as well." Yet, despite the added assistance, Worden assured readers that "he is treated the same as other inmates in the system."

The Emmy award-winning actor realized he was blind in 2017, telling the NNPA Newswire that April, when he woke up one morning, he admitted to his wife Camille, "I can't see." Cosby reportedly suffers from the disease glaucoma, which occurs when fluid builds up in one's eye and ultimately damages the optic nerve, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Unfortunately for those with the disease, once eyesight is lost, it is impossible to get it back, though treatments can help slow the process of vision loss. 

Bill Cosby fared better than most celebrities behind bars, especially since he was sent to a state-of-the-art prison that offered several amenities for its inmates. Standard cells at the prison contain a small single or double metal bed, personal locker, table, stainless steel toilet and sink, as well as a stool bolted to the floor. But unlike other correctional facilities, Cosby enjoyed air conditioning inside SCI Phoenix, making his sentence a bit more bearable in the summer months. Scratch communal shower time as well, as the inmates at the Pennsylvania prison shower in single stalls protected by plastic barriers as opposed to showering in groups.

According to some prisoners, the former actor was enjoying his life in prison just fine. In addition to a personal television in his cell, Cosby was able to communicate with others on the outside by accessing his email account on a personal tablet. "You wouldn't believe the luxuries afforded to him," former prisoner Phil Di Pietro told the National Inquirer (via OK! Magazine) in 2019. "He has more privacy and help than if he was back living at his estate." Di Pietro also said his large commissary budget offered him free reign to eat on his dime and avoid the food offered during meal times. Instead, Cosby used his large commissary budget to enjoy foods like tuna steak, bacon, cheeses, sausage, and turkey.

Bill Cosby had no trouble making friends in prison — especially when it came to his kindness at the commissary. The disgraced comedian decided not to work a paying job at SCI Phoenix due to his blindness. Instead, he used his large fortune to buy snacks for himself and his fellow inmates.

"Being in the same unit, we had the privilege of ordering twice as much commissary per week because Cosby doesn't eat most of the prison food — and he buys everyone on the block something on each order," former inmate Phil Di Pietro told The National Enquirer (via OK! Magazine). Those who served time in Cosby's unit also had the added benefit of getting to indulge in special perks while the actor was behind bars, like extra time in the recreation yard and being able to eat ahead of other inmates.

Bill Cosby wasn't exactly repenting and asking forgiveness during his stint in prison. Despite 60 women coming forward and accusing him of sexual misconduct since his 2018 conviction, the "Little Bill" star told NNPA Newswire that he continues to maintain his innocence, likening his situation to a "set-up" by "jury imposters." He confirmed his intentions to the public, writing, "When I come up for parole, they're not going to hear me say that I have remorse. I was there. I don't care what group of people come along and talk about this when they weren't there. They don't know."

As for Cosby, he likened himself to legendary leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela, claiming it was his efforts to fight for equality that landed him in jail. "My political beliefs, my actions of trying to humanize all races, genders and religions landed me in this place surrounded by barb wire fencing, a room made of steel and iron," he wrote in a statement in 2019 (via NBC News). He then implied that his new reality wouldn't last forever, writing, "So, I now have a temporary residence that resembles the quarters of some of the greatest political prisoners — Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Randal Robinson, and Dr. Benjamin Chavis."

The former comedian also admitted in his jailhouse interview that he became a role model in SCI Phoenix, breaking up potential fights and trying to advise fellow inmates whenever he could. Cosby revealed that he even stopped one prisoner who was threatening to kill another inmate over a disagreement. "I'm reaching them because they want to be reached," he told the outlet.

Bill Cosby's first attempt at an appeal was denied by lower Pennsylvania courts, making his last hope the state's Supreme Court. The actor first filed an appeal in Montgomery County Court in Pennsylvania in 2018, hoping to overturn his conviction on what he and his lawyers believed to be an unfair trial. 

Among many of his grievances was his claim that the trial judge Steven T. O'Neill overlooked former district attorney Bruce Castor's testimony in which he stated he would not pursue criminal charges against Cosby in 2005, as well as testimony being allowed from five women in Cosby's criminal trial who alleged they were victims of the actor's drugging and sexual abuse. According to his attorneys, these women's statements didn't pertain to the case as the "allegations were too remote in time and too dissimilar to the Constand allegations" as per documents obtained by The New York Times.

Cosby was denied an appeal by the Pennsylvania appellate court in 2019, with all judges unanimously agreeing that he was given a fair trial. They refuted Cosby's defense team's claims that the five additional women's testimonies shouldn't have been admissible, writing, "It is impossible for two incidents of sexual assault involving different victims to be identical in all respects." They instead agreed that these testimonies showed Cosby's pattern as an abuser and his "unique sexual assault playbook." The Pennsylvania Superior Court also refuted the relevance of Castor's promise not to prosecute Cosby, admitting, "Such promises exist only as exercises of prosecutorial discretion and may be revoked at any time."

Bill Cosby may have been getting lots of love from fellow inmates and their families at SCI Phoenix, but he wasn't receiving any from his own loved ones. According to his publicist, Andrew Wyatt, the actor declined to have unnecessary visitors while serving his time.

"Right now I'm his only visitor outside of his attorneys, and that's the way he wants it," Wyatt told NBC10 (via USA Today), explaining that Cosby refused to let his wife Camille visit him as well. Instead, he spoke with her over the phone three times a day and accepted bi-weekly visits from Wyatt. "He does not want his family to be exploited that way by coming to visit him and it be made a circus out of by the media," Wyatt revealed to NBC News in 2019. "So he has excluded them from coming to visit him for that reason and that reason alone."

The publicist told the news outlet that the former sitcom star kept himself busy in prison by keeping up his fitness, opting to wake up after 3 a.m. to leg lifts, push-ups, and abdominal exercises in his cell before getting breakfast. Cosby also reportedly was cranking out potential show ideas to pitch once released from prison. "He's mentally strong," Wyatt confirmed at the time. "He's just a strong man."

Bill Cosby may have been eligible for parole had it not been for his refusal to take part in prison therapy courses. The former sitcom's sentence was reviewed in May of 2021 — just several months shy of his three-year prison sentence mark — but the Pennsylvania parole board declined Cosby's petition for early release after he declined to participate in a sexual offender treatment program.

His publicist, Andrew Wyatt, admitted in a statement (via The Guardian) that they had anticipated this outcome. "We knew he was going to be rejected. He called me and told me that if he didn't take the course, he would be denied. He has maintained his innocence from the beginning." Instead, the "Ghost Dad" actor had faith in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court — from whom he was waiting to hear back about his conviction appeal at the time. Cosby had submitted an appeal years earlier but was denied by two lower Pennsylvania courts.

Bill Cosby was cleared of his charges in June 2021 and released from prison after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction. Six of the seven judges agreed the actor was unfairly tried after a previous district attorney promised not to prosecute him in 2005, only to have that nullified by a successor who claimed previous promises did not apply to him. 

According to their ruling, Cosby was bound by Bruce Castor's agreement not to prosecute, which allowed him to testify without invoking his Fifth Amendment right. The court refused to uphold the conviction on those grounds, stating (per the Associated Press), "denying the defendant the benefit of that decision is an affront to fundamental fairness, particularly when it results in a criminal prosecution that was foregone for more than a decade."

Cosby was just shy of three years into his potentially 10-year sentence when he got the news. He was jolted awake, telling WDAS 105.3 FM (via the Los Angeles Times), "I was napping in my cell ... I heard the cell door open ... All of a sudden I just hear this yelling, 'Mr. Cosby, Mr. Cosby, you have to wake up now.' I just felt hands on me, saying, 'Look, you have to get out of here, you have to go home. You're free.'"

As for Andrea Constand, she is looking forward. In her piece for Time, she admitted that while Cosby's vacated conviction had shaken her, it had not broken her. "Now that I have weathered yet another strange turn in this long saga, I realize that I cannot let reversals like the Supreme Court decision defeat me," she wrote. "Life is unpredictable. Much is beyond our control ... I am determined to live a happy, purposeful life."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).